Monthly Archives: November 2015

Just because your company holiday party has a budget doesn’t mean you have to gather around your conference room, eating Chinese food in shifts, and wishing each other “Happy Holidays.” There are still affordable ways to throw a company holiday party, and ways to minimize expenses for your office mates. It’s not an impossible task if you follow these budget-friendly tips for your next affordable (and fun) business holiday party.

Carefully choose your venue

Don’t feel that you have to be stuck in your company building; you and your employees are there every week, so why should you be anchored to the same place for your company holiday party? Choose a holiday party hall with parking to minimize the costs for your employees, and the cost of transportation. Don’t assume that those locations are out of your budget; contact your local party venues first. Most halls are more affordable than you think.

Make your event a luncheon

There are three advantages to a holiday party luncheon: 1) holiday party venue rates may be more affordable 2) you can alternate your front office staff during the holiday party so everyone can attend 3) it’s easy for your clients to understand if you run with minimal staff during the middle of the day. Holding your holiday party as a luncheon also minimizes your guest list, since significant others won’t be joining for the festivities.

Book your company party after the holidays

The holidays are crazy for your co-workers and employees, both personally and professionally. Don’t feel obligated to hold a company party during the holiday season. An appropriate winter-themed holiday party can be held after the holidays when business and personal obligations have lessened, and when many holiday party venue rates are more affordable due to less weddings and other events.

Choose a day that’s not a Saturday for your company holiday party

Most venue and hall rates are the most expensive during the most popular day of the week: Saturday. If you want to save money, inquire about the cost of a hall on a Thursday, Friday or Sunday, when rates tend to be more budget-friendly. To get the best price, ask about several different dates instead of tying yourself to one particular day.

Don’t skimp where it counts but minimize expenses

This seems like a contradiction, but it’s actually more of a holiday party planning strategy. Use affordable strategies such as choosing a venue that doesn’t need much décor or serving appetizers for an afternoon holiday social, but invest in carolers for the occasion or in giveaways or refreshments. Every company is different when it comes to prioritizing items in your holiday party budget, but the goal is the same: holding a memorable holiday party without blowing the budget.

Winter wedding wonderland. Cozy holiday gathering. Nutcracker theme. Your holiday wedding could go in a million different directions with ice bars, crystals, pearls, snowflakes, white roses, red roses…the list could go on and on of winter wedding ideas. You could choose all of the above, but you don’t want your wedding to look like a mishmash affair without a clear direction. How do you choose the right winter wedding touches for your unique winter wedding? Use our list of winter wedding ideas to find the winter wedding touch that you can hang your hat on, and the direction of your winter wedding.

Touches of cranberry

For a warm holiday feel, incorporate touches of cranberry into your wedding decor: in the flowers in the centerpieces, in water with candles, in bouquets. Carry the color into your cake, chair ribbons, dresses—even in the color of your cocktails or champagne. You can use this touch of cranberry as much as you want: as subtle touches in your all white winter wedding, or extensively in your bridesmaid dresses, bouquets, invitations, centerpieces, etc.

Ornaments

Nothing brings a touch of holiday class to a wedding reception than holiday glass balls. Choose the color of your ornament décor—gold, red, blue, purple—and use them in your centerpieces, as accents on your chair wraps, on the tables, in the welcome area.

Hot chocolate/hot cocoa bar

Want to give your guests a warm inviting feel at your wedding? Want to bring back memories of cold winter nights with a cup of hot cocoa? No matter what you call it, a hot chocolate or hot cocoa bar is a wonderful way to warm your guests up after venturing out into the cold to your wedding. Set up a hot cocoa bar as a way of welcome, farewell (as a favor to take home), as a side table at your wedding, or as an individual kit at each place setting.

Winter/holiday candy table

Candy canes, fudge, peppermint bark, sugar cookies…imagine your favorite holiday candies laid out on a table around a gingerbread house centerpiece surrounded by Christmas lights. Or create a centerpiece out of a vase filled with lights, and jars or vases of your favorite holiday candies. Whatever vision of sugar plums is dancing in your head, it’s the perfect way to sweeten up your guests, and to take home in small personalized boxes or bags.

Pine

If holiday trees are a mainstay of your childhood memories, and you want to incorporate that feel into your wedding, use pine boughs as a subtle part of your décor. A sprig of pine at each place setting, or a decorated pine cone that shimmers in the candle light, or mix them in ornaments, cranberries and other holiday wedding décor….there are a lot of opportunities to bring your favorite holiday tree into your wedding.

Glimmer of fallen snow

Obviously you can’t ask for a soft blanket of snow outside, but you can recreate that feeling inside your wedding venue. Think white, sparkly pinecones and beautiful white décor, candles, strategic lighting, crystals—anything that can give your wedding celebration the sparkle that you get after a winter snow fall.